Valle Reale

Brand Description

Valle Reale was founded in 2000 with the goal of producing world-class wines. Working primarily with the Montepulciano varietal, the Pizzolo family strives to make wines that highlight the grape’s intrinsic qualities: strength, exuberance, vitality, color, elegance, balance and depth. The process begins with the careful selection of clones that are best suited to Valle Reale’s soil and climate, and therefore best express the distinct characteristics of the varietal. Their success is evident in the young, vibrant DOC base wine, and even more so in the cru, a new benchmark for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Location of Vineyard

Located in the green heart of Abruzzo, Valle Reale’s vineyards are situated inside one of Italy’s most beautiful national parks. This is a wild paradise, with deep gorges carved by glaciers, crystal-clear springs and a diverse array of flora and fauna. Valle Reale is one of the few wine-producing estates in this area of pristine beauty. The topography and climate of this part of Abruzzo is completely different from the rest of the region and unique within central Italy. The vineyards have thin soils rich in limestone, with a light base of clay and sand. The proximity to the Gran Sasso mountain range, and the altitude of the estate itself, create wide fluctuations in temperature between day and night.

Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy

The grapes grown at Valle Reale take advantage of constant cool breezes that ensure good ventilation and minimize humidity — ideal for the development of fine aromas. Perfect ripening temperatures are reached only in late fall when the first snow whitens Mount Morrone. The geographic and climatic peculiarities of this area are reflected in the wines, which are characterized by the trademarks of fully mature fruit: fresh, elegant perfume and aromatic complexity.

Winter vineyards
Hand Harvest
Leonardo Pizzolo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Grape Cluster
Spring in Valle Reale
Vineyard of Capestrano
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Winery Profile
Owner: Leonardo Pizzolo
Winemaker: Emmanuel Merlo
Total acreage under vine: 130
Founded: 2000
Production: 50000
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Acclaim
“The 2020 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vigneto Sant'Eusanio is spicy and intense, with a vivid blend of black raspberries and cloves offset by worn leather and dusty earth. It floods the palate with silken textures and ripe red and blue fruits underscored by saline minerals and saturation of exotic spice. Gently tannic and dramatically long, this finishes with outstanding clarity and freshness while boasting a structure that will support cellaring.” — acclaim for 2020 Valle Reale Vigneto Sant'Eusanio from Vinous, Oct 2024
“The 2017 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vigneto di Popoli opens with a rich blend of crushed black cherries, plum sauce and sweet spices complemented by a hint of violet pastille. Velvety smooth yet energetic, it flows across the palate with mineral-inflected red berry fruits and mineral tones, slowly saturating with primary concentration. It's structured, yet its tannins are sweet. The 2017 finishes with a pleasantly bitter tinge of balsamic spice.” — acclaim for 2017 Valle Reale Vigneto di Popoli from Vinous, Oct 2024
“Violets, wet earth and black fruit on the nose, followed by a juicy, medium-bodied palate. Attractive earth and black-tea undertones to the fruit, framed by well-integrated tannins.” — acclaim for 2017 Valle Reale Vigneto di Popoli from James Suckling, Oct 2024
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